By Times Chronicle Staff

South Okanagan General Hospital’s emergency services will be unavailable from 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5 to 7 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6 due to what Interior Health says is “limited physician availability”.

Patients are advised to access care at Penticton Regional Hospital during this time. All other inpatient services will continue as normal at South Okanagan General Hospital (SOGH).

Those in need of life-threatening emergency care (i.e., chest pains, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding) should always call 9-1-1 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility.

Anyone unsure whether an emergency room visit is warranted should call Healthlink BC at 8-1-1 or visit healthlinkbc.ca for non-emergency health information from nurses, dietitians and pharmacists 24 hours a day, seven days per week.

The emergency department in Oliver is normally open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.